Spread the Word Inclusion

 Hi everyone! 

As most of us are aware, yesterday was Spread the Word Inclusion Day. As the celebrations wind down, I write this with the hope that we spread inclusion every day and can celebrate the importance behind Spread the Word Inclusion, on all days, and not just March 3rd. 

I think this year especially, we see the importance of connection. Through this long year of isolation and solitude, I know personally, it has given me plenty of time to think and appreciate finer things in life that I might not have been as appreciative of before. Little things like sitting with friends at lunch, high-fiving my peers in a school hallway, giving someone a hug—it all seems somewhat foreign right now. Given that, the underlying theme of what I miss is through relationships I have formed, and the opportunities I have been given to connect. That is the mission behind Spread the Word: we all deserve these moments, no one should be left behind. 

Yet we see exclusion daily. Despite many efforts from countless amounts of people, there are still individuals who feel excluded. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities continue to be left out; therefore, we need to continue to face these unjust issues and continue working to create a more inclusive environment. Collectively, we have the power to encourage people to change, but it has to start somewhere. I think the perfect place to start is by taking a pledge. We can allow for voices of change to be heard and can strengthen our mission. Best Buddies allows for people to speak out and stand up for what we are passionate about, we shouldn’t let our voices be unheard. Best Buddies provides us with endless opportunity to make an impact; thank you Best Buddies. 

What I like most is the change of name from Spread the Word to End the Word, to Spread the Word Inclusion, is that we no longer are stopping at only ending the R-word, but what more we can do afterward. By removing the outdated, inappropriate term from people’s vocabularies, we are expanding the focus to embracing change and welcoming a network of positivity. We shifted our focus to a more optimistic celebration, which I see as immensely welcoming, and right on par with the nature of Best Buddies. Rather than just eliminating a single term, Best Buddies is challenging us to take action. We have been given the opportunity to share our stories, our ideas, our pledge! We should take advantage of this, and create a brighter future. 

With that, I encourage you all to pledge if you have not done so already. Let’s see how strong we are together, let’s allow our voices to be heard, let’s make our world fully inclusive. 

In friendship, 

Sophie 

“I pledge to spread inclusion by working on becoming the change I want to see in our community. Through advocating for inclusivity and equity, we can eliminate the negative stereotypes and discrimination we see daily.”